Laura Street: Before and After
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/photos/1493784527_X9RVXZS-M.jpg)
A look before and after the completion of the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission's $2.7 million Laura Street Streetscape project.
Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2011-oct-laura-street-before-and-after
Looks a lot better, especially the big palms at Wells Fargo and the trees down near hemming plaza.
maybe we can get someone to post a night picture, to see how much lighting is included, not including the historic street lamps.
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/Development/Construction-Update-08-2011/i-TntNg7P/0/M/P1500031-M.jpg)
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/Development/Construction-Update-08-2011/i-fDccsj9/0/M/P1500034-M.jpg)
nice. thanks Lake!
Yeah, those lights at night look a ton better. A pretty handsome project overall. And some fabulous pics as always.
Next let's see sidewalk seating and exposure for the businesses in the Wells Fargo Center and the other buildings. When can you have that by, Lake? ;)
Also, who knows what's going on the Jacobs Jewelers clock?
I really do like it. I was down there a few days ago and I have to say the whole area looks so much better.
now if we could just get those historic buildings renovated and filled, it will become a destination.
Confession: I've become a fan of the (now-repaired) Laura St. roundabout.
Quote from: Tacachale on October 05, 2011, 08:53:00 AM
Next let's see sidewalk seating and exposure for the businesses in the Wells Fargo Center and the other buildings. When can you have that by, Lake? ;)
Very soon, lol. Wells Fargo is leading the way by currently working on opening up their new first level bank branch to Laura Street.
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/Other/mi/i-PsMqQZF/0/L/Wells-Fargo-Center-Storefront-L.jpg)
I am glad to see them opening up that side of the building. Also, I like Suntrust bank branch actually being in the Suntrust Tower at street level.
Hmmm, banking cafe style!
Quote from: thelakelander on October 05, 2011, 09:18:29 AM
Quote from: Tacachale on October 05, 2011, 08:53:00 AM
Next let's see sidewalk seating and exposure for the businesses in the Wells Fargo Center and the other buildings. When can you have that by, Lake? ;)
Very soon, lol. Wells Fargo is leading the way by currently working on opening up their new first level bank branch to Laura Street.
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/Other/mi/i-PsMqQZF/0/L/Wells-Fargo-Center-Storefront-L.jpg)
^ A small thing but could be revolutionary if other first floor businesses in the downtown buildings follow suit.
Yes. A single here and steal a base there. That's how true redevelopment happens. Continuing to swing for the fences at every bat (which is what Jax has done in the past) is a bad strategy to follow if your goal is to actually win the game.
The transition looks fantastic!
Just one question, what happened to the proposed archway over Laura at the roundabout??
Quote from: thelakelander on October 05, 2011, 09:38:00 AM
Yes. A single here and steal a base there. That's how true redevelopment happens. Continuing to swing for the fences at every bat (which is what Jax has done in the past) is a bad strategy to follow if your goal is to actually win the game.
Absolutely. After seeing this kind of thing done successfully in Orlando, I'm confident Wells Fargo will be happy with the results, and hopefully it will let the other building owners see what a good idea it is.
To ride a bicycle through any of these intersections with any iota of reasonable comfort, we need one of these (http://surlybikes.com/uploads/bikes/bikes_moonlander.jpg)
http://surlybikes.com/bikes/moonlander
Quote from: JeffreyS on October 05, 2011, 09:31:53 AM
Quote from: thelakelander on October 05, 2011, 09:18:29 AM
Quote from: Tacachale on October 05, 2011, 08:53:00 AM
Next let's see sidewalk seating and exposure for the businesses in the Wells Fargo Center and the other buildings. When can you have that by, Lake? ;)
Very soon, lol. Wells Fargo is leading the way by currently working on opening up their new first level bank branch to Laura Street.
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/Other/mi/i-PsMqQZF/0/L/Wells-Fargo-Center-Storefront-L.jpg)
^ A small thing but could be revolutionary if other first floor businesses in the downtown buildings follow suit.
You wouldn't know it from the outside but there is a street style market inside the lobby today. If you had come to the branch you would be exposed.
Was in the new Wells Fargo Center earlier. Construction is moving along with the new bank, the new Suntrust is open across the street. Also, there was a large market type event inside the lobby of the Wells Fargo building.
I will say this much. We dont get everything exactly how we want it, but the small things we have been doing as a city is moving Dt in the right direction. Along with the expanding of the out door seating, and the Laura street Facade grants are all good signs! And The Landing is also taking advantage of the Facade grants will be doing some exterior face lifts and adding outdoor seating. I read it in the daily record a few months back.
The market inside today.
(http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn72/Vendingman/IMAG0656.jpg)
(http://i301.photobucket.com/albums/nn72/Vendingman/IMAG0655.jpg)
Quote from: AbelH on October 05, 2011, 09:16:00 AM
Confession: I've become a fan of the (now-repaired) Laura St. roundabout.
+1
How many officers could we have still on the JSO for that same 2.7 million spent to put racing stripes on a street that was perfectly fine the way it was???? Thankfully, the lost decade is over and we hopefully have new blood in City Hall.
Its a nice touch that when people ask where Laura Street is, all you have to say is, look for the ROUGH ROAD signs downtown and they instantly know where it is.
One last note drivers of downtown on Laura Street, the 2 DOUBLE YELLOW lines mean ONCOMING traffic, so stay in your lane. Its amazing people still don't know the basics of motor vehicle operation!
Quote from: mtraininjax on October 05, 2011, 03:27:32 PM
2 DOUBLE YELLOW lines mean ONCOMING traffic,
Or they mean divided highway - no passing, either way, make sure you keep the stripes on your left.
The brick crosswalks are quite handsome. But I would warn everyone to enjoy them while you can. In other cities that have them, it seems that all too quickly they get disfigured by underground utility work, and then they 'repair' them with asphalt patches that ruin the whole look.
Mtrain come on, you are smarter than that. You know the way governement funding structures are set up, you can't mix capital and operating dollars. That sounds like something some of those posters on the TU site would say. You can't take money allocated towards a capital improvement project and move it over to support operations.
I like the new sidewalk and the how the road feels, but the bricks in the middle of the intersections are horrible. They weren't placed right or something. It would've been better leaving that part as asphalt.
Laura Street looks real nice.
Amazing! Hope the love is spread.
I like those night shots!!
All worth it just to have some walkability around the wells-fargo (modis) building. It's nice to walk from the landing up Laura now.
I walked from hemming to the landing today very nice. I went to chamblin's book mine the market in the wells fargo building and the landing.
Looked wonderful tonight for artwalk.
The street was almost complete when I was in Jax back at the end of May, and at that time I thought the city had done a good job even though I didn't know what it looked like before. The aesthetics are visually pleasing and will hopefully lead to more active pedestrian uses.
I have been living downtown for two years now and have seen the project for start to finish. I absolutely love the night lighting of the trees. It makes the streets more inviting to walk about after the sun goes down. It really brings an even more festive mood to Art Walk also. The question now...Is it enough to attract people to downtown?
I don't go downtown to admire the streets, I have enough beautiful items to admire in Avondale without having to go a few miles into town to see others downtown.
Quote from: downtownjaxgurl on October 13, 2011, 03:41:38 PM
I have been living downtown for two years now and have seen the project for start to finish. I absolutely love the night lighting of the trees. It makes the streets more inviting to walk about after the sun goes down. It really brings an even more festive mood to Art Walk also. The question now...Is it enough to attract people to downtown?
That alone will not attract more people DT. It is a start to a much bigger vision of Laura Street. heck I can pulg up my christmas tree if I wanted to see some lights LMAO
Quote from: downtownjaxgurl on October 13, 2011, 03:41:38 PM
I have been living downtown for two years now and have seen the project for start to finish. I absolutely love the night lighting of the trees. It makes the streets more inviting to walk about after the sun goes down. It really brings an even more festive mood to Art Walk also. The question now...Is it enough to attract people to downtown?
Nope. Now the city needs to work with building and business owners to better expose their establishments to the sidewalks. It would also help if the city can find a way to address the Landing and get the Laura Street Trio project off the ground.
Quote from: thelakelander on October 13, 2011, 04:27:09 PM
Quote from: downtownjaxgurl on October 13, 2011, 03:41:38 PM
I have been living downtown for two years now and have seen the project for start to finish. I absolutely love the night lighting of the trees. It makes the streets more inviting to walk about after the sun goes down. It really brings an even more festive mood to Art Walk also. The question now...Is it enough to attract people to downtown?
Nope. Now the city needs to work with building and business owners to better expose their establishments to the sidewalks. It would also help if the city can find a way to address the Landing and get the Laura Street Trio project off the ground.
I believe the Facade grants should help that. The Landing is also taking advantage of the facade grant and is supposed to get an exterior face life and add side walk seating.. Hopefully everything pans out the way its supposed to.